Hello 2016 Grab Bag

Thank you for choosing Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge during 2015. We wish you a Happy New Year, and we look forward to providing you outstanding service in 2016 and beyond.

We opened at 8am today, and we'll remain open only until 8pm. We will have limited hours tomorrow, New Year's Day, and that's noon-4pm. We return to our regular hours on Saturday, January 2nd.

Special alert: Both stores will be closed for inventory on Monday, January 11 and Tuesday, January 12.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled post.

If you're shopping for any New Year's related beverages, click here for staff recommendations on

craft beer, wine and sparkling wine. And if you are planning to visit our stores today or tomorrow,please remember the holiday hours noted above.


                                                             New Products

Three Olives Peach. There are a number of Three O flavors that have been discontinued, but we're pleased to add Peach to our shelves. It offers 100% natural flavor of juicy ripe peach with a crisp aromatic finish. Available in the 1 liter size, for $25.49.

Find us, follow us, like us. Our social media platforms offer additional information, coupon savings and more. Click below to find us:

Lawrenceville Facebook
Lawrenceville Twitter
Woodbridge Facebook
Woodbridge Twitter

And we do follow back on Twitter. If you're not receiving our Bottle Club® emails, you're missing out on great information and additional savings. You can sign up at Customer Service or at check out in our stores, or click here for the Lawrenceville website, and click here for the Woodbridge website, to sign up on the home page.

Ripped from the Headlines

5 Tips for Better Health. With wine. Link goes to Wine Spectator.

Enjoy the weekend. Happy and Healthy New Year.

Let's Review

We thought about a Year-In-Review post, but with vintage changes, seasonal products and products taken out of the NJ market, we decided against that. Today, we'll help you navigate New Year's.  A quick note on our store hours. Tomorrow, December 31, we're open 8am-8pm. On New Year's Day, we're open only from noon-4pm.

With the parades, football games and parties, you're probably going to eat pizza over the next couple of days. We took an informal survey of our staffers, and they offered their pizza pairing recommendations. Click here for their suggestions.

Champagne and other sparkling wines. While many people enjoy these wines at least weekly (Bellini at brunch, anyone?), others reserve the bubbly for celebrations. We have several recommendations for you, in no particular order. Click on the name

to link to an explanation.

Cave De Beblenheim Cremant Brut
Acinum Prosecco and Chassenay D'Arce Brut Rose
Aubry Brut Champagne and Banfi Rosa Regale
The Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon Collection. Brut NV, Demi-Sec, Extra Brut and Vintage 2008.

Table wines. New Year's dinners are often upscale events, and the wines chosen are typically a match for the meals. While we're happy to see you enjoy a Caymus or Silver Oak, we can offer a number of suggestions that are more affordable options.

Robert Storey Cellars, Genevieve's Vineyard Napa Valley Chardonnay and Lazy Creek Vineyards, "Lazy Day" Pinot Noir
Block 478 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and George Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau
Robert Storey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Craft beer. As we've noted before, craft beer availability can be challenging. When you see something great, you should grab it. And as an aside, at the time this is being written there is still one bottle of Sam Adams Utopias available at our Lawrenceville store. (Update: Sold)

Flying Dog K-9 Winter Ale
Two Roads Brewing Route of All Evil
River Horse Belgian Freeze and Blue Point Winter Ale

We should have the perfect item for your New Year's events. Our best resource, of course, is our store staff. Don't hesitate to ask for assistance while you're shopping, and our experts will be happy to ensure your satisfaction.

Bubbling Up

At this time of year, most everyone is at least browsing through our sparkling wine section. Champagne remains the top choice, but we have lots of values in alternative sparkling wines. For example, we recently added the Cave De Beblenheim Cremant Brut. It's a sparkler from the Alsace region of France, available for only $16.96 in the Bottle Club®.

The Cave De Beblenheim Cremant Brut is made from Pinot Blanc and Pinot Auxerrois, rather than traditional Champagne grapes. The wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, which gives a lively, delicate sparkle.

It would be difficult to find a more ideal geographical situation for Beblenheim, as the village nestles in the heart of Alsace. The  typical charm and atmosphere of the region, so well portrayed by Hansi, the famous Alsatian artist, can be found everywhere: timber-framed houses, stone gateways with coats-of-arms, a beautiful fifteenth-century old Gothic fountain. But without any doubt, Beblenheim exists first and foremost for wine.

The village’s winery is the focal point for hectares of vines across

five rural districts. In this small, typical Alsatian village, jealously-guarded winegrowers’ secrets have been handed down from father to son for generations.

Cave de Beblenheim has been created in 1952 by several winegrowers who decided to pool their expertise in order to work more efficiently. Two years later, together, they obtained their first gold medal. Today, after five decades of constant progress, has reached the sixth place among the wine-producers in Alsace, and brings together 150 winegrowers, cultivating vines in Beblenheim and its neighboring villages.

The Cave De Beblenheim Cremant Brut has a very crisp and clean style, offering flavors of stone fruits, green apples and pears, with a mineral-tinged finish. It's light, fresh and a nice alternative to Champagne! Also look for the Rose.

More Than Toasts For New Year's

New Year's isn't just about the midnight Champagne toast, or the beer that many will enjoy during the college football playoff games. It's an evening to savor some cocktails, and since you have lots of Champagne on hand, let's see about combining the two for Mixology Monday.

Champagne Mojito

You can make the Mojito base in advance, so there's a chilled pitcher ready to go when guests arrive.

Ingredients
3/4 cup simple syrup
1 1/2 cups packed mint leaves, plus 12 mint sprigs, for garnish
6 limes, cut into wedges
2 cups Bacardi Silver rum
Cracked ice
3 cups Chassenay D'Arce Brut Champagne

In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges and muddle well with a wooden spoon. Add the rum and stir well. Strain the drink into another pitcher.

Fill tall glasses with cracked ice and pour in the drink, filling them about two-thirds full. Top with Champagne, garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

Citrus 75

Ingredients
1/2 clementine
Ice
1 1/2 ounces Hendricks gin
1/2 ounce Pallini Limoncello
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce honey syrup (1/2 tablespoon honey mixed with 1/2 tablespoon warm water)
1 ounce chilled Lacourte-Godbillon Brut Champagne
1 lemon twist, for garnish
1 orange wheel, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the clementine. Add ice and the gin, Limoncello, lemon juice and honey syrup and shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe, top with the Champagne and garnish with the lemon twist and orange wheel.

French 75

Many believe this drink was devised by American soldiers in World War I hankering for a Tom Collins. They had gin and lemons but no soda, so they used what was at hand: Champagne. The result was named for the French-made 75-millimeter guns used in the war.

Ingredients
Ice
1 ounce Bluecoat American gin
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
4 ounces chilled Chassenay D'Arce Brut Champagne

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, lemon juice and Simple Syrup and shake well. Strain into a chilled flute and stir in the Champagne.

Holiday Grab Bag

We offer the important reminders up front. We are open until 7pm today, Christmas Eve. We are closed tomorrow. We open to our regular hours on Saturday. We'll have special hours on New Year's Eve and Day, but you're not worried about that right now.

In case you missed yesterday's blog post, we covered pretty much everything relevant to the holiday. We reviewed our craft beer, wine and sparkling wine recommendations. We talked about pairings with cheese, and the special gift bag offer at our Lawrenceville store. Click here for that blog post.

New Products

It couldn't be a Grab Bag post without this subject.

Breaker Bourbon Port Finish is inspired by the talented artisans making some of the world's best wines in the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Rita Hills. Our master distiller finished aged bourbon in beautifully seasoned port barrels that were acquired from a local winemaker for a secondary aging. This results in a distinctly smooth and complexly flavored bourbon with a beautiful hue.

This new bourbon is blended from just 8 barrels, with a minimum age of 5 years. When poured, the bourbon opens up with typical aromas: Vanilla, cereal grains, oak, and spice. It starts with a rich, stewed fruit and vanilla sweetness and leads to a dry finish. Citrus and spice linger on the palate with baked apple notes hidden beneath. A great new offering from another awesome craft distillery. Very limited availability, at $56.99.

Penn Brewery Nut Roll Ale. A semi-sweet nut brown ale spiced with cinnamon and vanilla. Reminiscent of the nut rolls Grandma used to bake. 5% ABV. In Lawrenceville only.

                                                           Ripped from the Headlines

AB InBev will acquire Breckenridge Brewery. Click here for the story. Breckenridge will be part of their High End's craft beer portfolio, which consists of other craft breweries such as Goose Island Beer Company, Blue Point Beer Company, 10 Barrel Brewing, Elysian Brewing Company, Golden Road Brewing and the recently acquired Four Peaks Brewing Company.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.

Holiday Wrap-Up

One current internet meme suggests that it's just about time for the men to start their holiday shopping. We'll dedicate today's blog post to everyone who still has a little bit of shopping left to do (That includes your blogger. See you at the Lawrenceville store later today).

If you've giving bottles of wine, beer or spirits as gifts, there is a special deal at the Lawrenceville store right now. Buy any three single-bottle paper wine gift bags, and receive two free.

Both of our stores (if you're new to our blog, we refer to the Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge) will be open until 10pm tonight. Both stores will open at 8am tomorrow, and close at 7pm. Both stores will be closed on Christmas Day. We return to normal business hours on Saturday.

Champagne and sparkling wine recommendations. The holidays are full of perfectly good excuses to have responsibly enjoy sparkling wine every day. For an assortment of staff-approved bubbly, click here, here, here, here, and here.

Wine recommendations. We have offered a number of great ideas for wine to give as gifts or to enjoy with your holiday dinners. To review, click here, here, or here.

Craft Beer recommendations. Some craft beers are delivered in such small quantities that they're gone before the information even reaches our desk. Get to know our beer team, and they'll make sure you have insider knowledge. Follow us on Twitter as well, as we publish lots of information there. For instance, yesterday we got a shipment of Sam Adams White Christmas, and we announced it via Twitter. We also published a coupon for that beer, which you can find here (coupon is valid at both stores).

For our other craft beer recommendations, click here, here, here, and here. Please remember that seasonal craft beer is produced in limited quantities, for a specific period of time, and is therefore subject to availability.

Cheese. Don't forget that both stores have a nice selection of Di Bruno Bros. cheeses, spreads, and other snack items. We like to suggest a cheese, spread or meat along with our featured email item, because those pairings are so natural. Our selections range from simple (cheddar) to interesting (Cotswold, Maytag Blue and others), to match any palate.



Thank you for shopping with us during this holiday season. We know there are other stores, and we appreciate your choosing Joe Canal's.

One House, Many Styles

We have added several different styles from the Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon Collection. These are outstanding champagnes that offer possibly the best price:value ratio among our sparkling wines. This Champagne house began, as so many do, selling their grapes to the big, famous producers. In the 1960's, however, they established the Lacourte-Godbillon brand. We'll let them -and Wine Spectator- explain from here.

The vine has a lot in common with Man: it needs to be watched and understood, educated and helped to thrive in the terroir it finds itself. Great viticulture expresses the essence of the place in the grapes.

Our vision for the wine is simple, almost simplistic: It must be an expression of its terroir. The oak used for our barrels is sourced from the Écueil forest or from Champagne-Ardenne. Each plot is pressed and vinified separately and the juice is moved by gravity as far as possible and not pumped, to conserve the musts’ intrinsic qualities. The wines stay in tank or barrel in contact with their lees deposits, without racking, for the whole autumn period, so they develop their full complexity and unique personality. For the wines made in oak barrels, no stirring or filtering is carried out. The chilling process then takes place... outside in the winter cold!

The bottles are aged in our cellars for between 30 months and 7 years. This is followed by an average resting time of 3 to 6 months after the yeast deposits have been removed (disgorgement). The optimum "dosage" for each wine in each year, is decided by several trial tastings. Our objective is to find the best possible balance as each wine is a living being with its own character.

In blending, around 50 wines have been tasted and re-tasted over a few days. We need to identify the profile of each wine and its characteristics. Many still wines ("vins clairs") are involved, including wines from that year, reserve wines from previous harvests, some of which are vinified in tanks and others in oak barrels.

Look for the following styles:

Brut, Non-Vintage. 91 points from Wine Spectator: "Well-balanced, this well-cut, aperitif-style version features a mix of savory accents of fleur de sel, almond skin and raisin bread, paired with dried apricot, lemon curd and honey notes. The mouthwatering acidity brings you back for another sip." The blend is 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay from the 2011 vintage, with 30% reserve wines from 2010 and 2009 vintages.
Regular Price: $37.99
Bottle Club® Price: $32.96

Brut, 2008 Vintage. 90 points from Wine Spectator: "A fresh version that offers a lively, lacy bead and subtle flavors of green pear, slivered almond, dried apricot and fleur de sel. Disgorged January 2015. Drink now through 2020. 370 cases made." 50% each of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with balanced complexity and freshness.
Regular Price: $47.99
Bottle Club® Price: $42.96

Demi Sec. 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay. This is our lowest-priced Demi Sec Champagne. On the nose, red fruit and floral notes that gradually reveal the predominance of the Pinot Noir grapes. It's full-bodied, with a lively attack. Enjoy with desserts or as an aperitif. (If you are still learning about Champagne styles, Demi Sec is considered off-dry, or slightly sweet)
Regular Price: $38.99
Bottle Club® Price: $34.96

Extra Brut. Drier than Brut but not as dry a Brut Nature (Natural). This is our only Extra Brut Champagne. 91 points from Wine Spectator: "An elegant, well-cut sparkler, with a lively, lacy texture carrying a ripe note of poached apple and accents of chalk, almond skin and sea salt. Disgorged October 10, 2013. Drink now through 2019. 250 cases made."
Regular Price: $44.99
Bottle Club® Price: $39.96

Last-Minute Shopping

If you're a procrastinator, you are almost out of time. The best procrastinator, of course, might say that there's still plenty of time to shop before Christmas. If you still have shopping to do, please note our store hours for this week:

Monday, December 21: 9am-10pm
Tuesday, December 22: 9am-10pm
Wednesday, December 23: 8am-10pm
Thursday, December 24: 8am-8pm
Friday, December 25: Closed
Saturday, December 26: 9am-10pm

Expect our stores to be crowded, and we'll have as many registers open as we can, to help move you through as quickly as possible. You can plan ahead by following the the links below.

Recently, we published blog posts with holiday recommendations. Click here for wine, craft beer and sparkling wine. Click here for craft beer and sparkling wine. Click here for craft beer. Click here for sparkling wine and table wine. Click here for all categories. And click here for table wine only.

Click here for other gift ideas, like cheese and packaged gift sets. Stock will vary by store. And we also have these new wines to consider:

Rare Find Cabernet Sauvignon. This new arrival is an excellent choice as a gift, or for your own table. A bit fruit-forward (think plum), a touch of spice, and rounded tannins. From Sonoma County. Only $11.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Chateau Lascombes Margaux 2011. A collector's wine with very limited availability. "This large, fragmented estate must be a logistical nightmare for winemakers, but the 2011, a blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, exhibits a beautifully scented nose of spring flowers, black raspberries, black currants, graphite and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied and rich with supple tannins, this terrific example of Lascombes continues their qualitative revolution that began over 15 years ago. One of the stars of the vintage, this beauty can be consumed over the next 20-25 years." - Wine Advocate, 93 points. $65.99 in the Bottle Club®.

What with today being Mixology Monday, we'd be remiss not to offer a cocktail recipe.

The A List

Ingredients
1.5oz Patron Silver Tequila
.5 ounce Jacquin's Apricot Brandy
4 ounces fresh orange juice
Dash of bitters
Orange twist
Ice

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients except orange twist, shake briefly and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with orange twist and serve immediately.

Last Weekend Grab Bag

The reference in the title, of course, is to the fact that this is the last weekend to shop before Christmas. To accommodate the greatest number of people, we will have special store hours beginning Sunday.

Sunday, December 20, 9am-9pm
Wednesday, December 23, 8am-10pm
Thursday, December 24, 8am-7pm
Friday, December 25, Closed
Thursday, December 31, 8am-8pm
Friday, January 1, noon-4pm

We do anticipate that our stores will be busy, so please plan accordingly.

New Products

We are adding several different styles from the Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon Collection. These are outstanding champagnes that offer possibly the best price:value ratio among our sparkling wines.

Our vision for the wine is simple, almost simplistic: It must be an expression of its terroir. The oak used for our barrels is sourced from the Écueil forest or from Champagne-Ardenne. Each plot is pressed and vinified separately and the juice is moved by gravity as far as possible and not pumped, to conserve the musts’ intrinsic qualities. The wines stay in tank or barrel in contact with their lees deposits, without racking, for the whole autumn period, so they develop their full complexity and unique personality. For the wines made in oak barrels, no stirring or filtering is carried out. The chilling process then takes place... outside in the winter cold!

Look for the following styles:

Brut, Non-Vintage. 91 points from Wine Spectator: "Well-balanced, this well-cut, aperitif-style version features a mix of savory accents of fleur de sel, almond skin and raisin bread, paired with dried apricot, lemon curd and honey notes. The mouthwatering acidity brings you back for another sip."

Brut, 2008 Vintage. 90 points from Wine Spectator: "A fresh version that offers a lively, lacy bead and subtle flavors of green pear, slivered almond, dried apricot and fleur de sel. Disgorged January 2015. Drink now through 2020. 370 cases made."

Demi Sec. 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay. This is our lowest-priced Demi Sec Champagne. On the nose, red fruit and floral notes that gradually reveal the predominance of the Pinot Noir grapes. It's full-bodied, with a lively attack. Enjoy with desserts or as an aperitif.

Extra Brut. Drier than Brut but not as dry a Brut Nature (Natural). This is our only Extra Brut Champagne. 91 points from Wine Spectator: "An elegant, well-cut sparkler, with a lively, lacy texture carrying a ripe note of poached apple and accents of chalk, almond skin and sea salt. Disgorged October 10, 2013. Drink now through 2019. 250 cases made."

Breaker Wheated Bourbon Whisky is meant to serve as a counterpart to Breaker Bourbon Whisky. By replacing the rye in our mashbill with wheat, we have created a bourbon that is slightly softer on the palate. Remaining true to tradition, this bourbon is aged in new, deeply charred 53-gallon White American Oak barrels for a minimum of 5 years. Only eight barrels are carefully hand selected by our Master Distiller for each batch that we bottle. 45% ABV. Limited availability, at $56.99.

2014 Michel Tete Domaine du Clos du Fief Julienas Tradition. Beaujolais wines like this are really popular at this time of year. Currently, this is our only wine from Julienas and each store has only a few cases. Rated 92 points by Wine Advocate: "The 2014 Juliénas Tradition comes from 45-year-old vines and underwent a 10- to 12-day maceration. It has a lively, vivacious nose with animated red cherry and wild strawberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, ripe, citrus fresh red and black fruit, leading to a generous finish that is harmonious and tender. It will be hard to find Juliénas better than this little gem in 2014." Only $16.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Flying Dog K-9 Winter Ale. If it tastes like Christmas, it probably works with K-9. Flavor notes: Sweet malt base with roasted, nutty, and spicy flavors Pairs with: Buttery cheeses; sweet breads; spice cake; squash, yams, and sweet potatoes; hearty meats and stews. 7.4% ABV.

                                                             Links n Stuff

We published several blog posts with additional recommendations for the holidays. Click here for wine, craft beer and sparkling wine. Click here for craft beer and sparkling wine. Click here for craft beer. Click here for sparkling wine and table wine. And click here for table wine only.

Click here for other gift ideas, like cheese and pre-made gift sets. Stock will vary by store.

Click here for events in our Lawrenceville store. Click here for events in our Woodbridge store.

Click here for the most misunderstood wine terms.

Have a great weekend!

Or Try These

We have a few more suggestions for you, if you're still in the shopping mode. There's not a lot of time left, so these guides should help you as you navigate our stores. Look for additional information and links at the bottom of this post.

Maybe the new cliche should be Champagne Taste, Cremant Budget. Why not indulge in a French sparkling wine that is more affordable? Cave De Beblenheim Cremant Rose is a medium-bodied sparkling wine from the Alsace region of France. The wine offers flavors of cherry and tart raspberry, with underlying citrus notes and a crisp, minerally finish. Only $16.98 in the Bottle Club®. Non-vintage.

Coat & Badge Chardonnay. This makes an excellent gift, but also will be a nice fit for a Christmas dinner (pairs with ham) or New Year's (Lobster and Chardonnay? Perfect!). A fresh, aromatic nose of peach, apricot and white flowers. This medium-bodied white offers flavors of ripe peach and citrus zest with lively acidity and a touch of toast on the finish. Very refreshing! There's also a creamy texture that makes you want shellfish. Only $11.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Click here for our weekly coupons, where you'll find an additional $1 savings on Coat & Badge Chardonnay, among other products. Coupon valid at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge only.

Two Roads Brewing Route of All Evil. No, they're not talking about Route 1 at this time of year. This is their Winter seasonal, weighing in at 7.5% ABV. It's a hefty Black Ale with profound malt and hop complexity. Neither Stout nor Porter, it will be its own thing – full-bodied, bold and black. Flavor characteristics of dark chocolate, mocha, molasses and dark fruits. Balanced by piney citrusy notes of Pacific Northwest hops. Full-bodied and uncommonly satisfying.

GIBF 2015 Gold Medal Winner- Black IPA category. $11.49/six-pack.

Of course, Pinot Noir is an exceedingly popular choice as a holiday table wine. A truly versatile wine, Pinot Noir will pair with turkey, ham, salmon, and nearly anything you'll find people enjoying at holiday time. Block 478 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is one of our more interesting selections. Finding the right microclimate for growing Pinot Noir grapes can be challenging. Fortunately, California is blessed with a handful of areas that accommodate the needs of this most persnickety and (literally) thin-skinned varietal.  The Sonoma Coast AVA (American Viticultural Area) consists of approximately 2,000 vineyard acres, extending from San Pablo Bay in the south to the Mendocino County border in the north. The AVA is defined by its cool climate, which provides an ideal setting for growing perfectly ripened Pinot Noir grapes.

This is where Block 478 sources the grapes for its Pinot Noir bottling — a medium-bodied wine with both sweet and savory notes, plenty of fruit-forward flavor, and a degree of finesse that proclaims, "Special occasion!" 100% Pinot Noir. Aromas & Flavors:  Savory, Sandalwood, Cedar, Red Cherry and Assorted Red Berries. Only $12.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Click here for more craft beer and sparkling wine recommendations, along with our special holiday store hours and gift guide.

Click here for even more craft beer recommendations.

Click here and here for additional wine/sparkling wine recommendations.

We Have Bubbles! Both Kinds!

We're down to single digits in the number of shopping days left before Christmas, so we'll get right to the point.

Both kinds of bubbles? Those found in sparkling wine, of course, as well as in craft beer. Below are some additional staff holiday recommendations for both categories. But first, a brief note about our special holiday store hours:

Sunday, December 20, 9am-9pm
Wednesday, December 23, 8am-10pm
Thursday, December 24, 8am-7pm
Friday, December 25, Closed
Thursday, December 31, 8am-8pm
Friday, January 1, noon-4pm

If you're new to this blog, please know that we are discussing Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and

Woodbridge exclusively. At the bottom of this post, we'll link to our other relevant posts on this topic.

Acinum Prosecco. A refreshingly crisp prosecco, slightly on the drier side, yet packed with fruit and hints of honeysuckle. It has a beautiful pale straw color. This excellent sparkler makes a great companion to scallops and other seafood. Only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA.  Pale golden in color with a hoppy fruity aroma. Big hop flavor up front complemented by medium body and hoppyness mid-palate. It finishes with a characteristic, lingering bitterness. Pair with a beef dish or something spicy.

Yellow Snow IPA was originally introduced for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Yellow Snow is Rogue’s tribute to winter sports everywhere—downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross country, ice hockey, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and even curling. $14.49/ 6-pack.

Chassenay D'Arce Brut Rose NV. Sometimes, only a Champagne will do, and

this is a must-have Rose Champagne bargain. Rich and lively, with flavors of ripe raspberries and strawberries leading to a  clean, crisp finish. This is all about immediate pleasure!!!

89 points from Wine Spectator. "Well-knit, with a creamy bead and firm acidity, this offers hints of slivered almond, black raspberry puree, smoke and licorice. Features a lip-smacking finish of moderate length. Drink now." The release price was $55.00, but it's only $29.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale. Do not open ‘til Christmas? Whoever coined that phrase obviously hasn’t tasted Christmas Ale’s fresh honey, cinnamon, and ginger flavors. Enjoy a Yuletide’s worth of holiday spices and sweet honey to keep you a-wassailing all season long. 7.5% ABV. Pairs with roast duck, spiced desserts, and ugly Christmas sweaters. $11.99/six-pack.

One more craft beer recommendation? OK.

Big Muddy Winter Ale. Brewed only during the cold months of the year, this

medium-bodied winter warmer is balanced with roasted malt complexity and subtle hints of cinnamon, ginger and vanilla creating an inviting and festive ale that is the perfect accompaniment for any holiday occasion. $9.99/6-pack.

Other Links:
Click here for a six-pack of recommendations for local craft beer.
Click here for wine recommendations.
Click here for other wine and sparkling wine recommendations.
Click here for our gift set collection in Lawrenceville. Click here for our gift set collection in Woodbridge.

Many Happy Returns

This familiar holiday greeting also effectively communicates what we often experience, namely, the return of a favorite wine after a hiatus. There are too many reasons to explain as to why a wine might not be on our shelves from one vintage to the next. However, when it's an outstanding wine from a favorite winery in Tuscany, we simply celebrate it's return.

San Felice is that favorite winery. Agricola San Felice is recognized as an innovative estate, partly because of its ability to spot trends before they develop and partly because of its intense research and experimentation. At the same time, however, its production style accentuates the uniqueness and typical character of its territory by retaining a close attachment to tradition.

We've long enjoyed their Chianti's and Rosso's. For their Brunello, the Campogiovanni vineyards are situated on the southern side of Montalcino, where the unique combination of microclimate and soil composition create the ideal ripening conditions for sangiovese. Campogiovanni is a traditional Brunello, conditioned for an average of three years in Slavonian oak barrels and 500-liter tonneaux, and then for 12 months in the bottle. It stands out for its finesse and longevity.

The 2010 San Felice Brunello di Montalcino Campogiovanni is something you should consider adding to your collection. 96 points from James Suckling: "Perfect aromas to this red with licorice, stone, peach pit, plum, leather and iron. Full body, fine, silky tannins that support a deep, rich fruit concentration showing black fruit, Tuscan dust and oyster shell. Needs four or five years to soften but an amazing finish."

95 points from Wine Spectator. "Black cherry, black currant, cedar and tobacco flavors highlight this firm, dense red. This has the fruit, structure and harmony to develop, with a juicy finish and a lingering wild herb and mineral aftertaste. Best from 2018 through 2033."

While our weekly feature is the 750ml size; this is also available in the 1.5 liter Magnum size.

Craft Beer Christmas. New Year's Too!

Our beer team offers a few suggestions for you for the holiday season. Certainly, the obvious choices (Fegley's Rude Elf, for one) are on the list. Today, we'll roll with a few of the not-so-obvious, more or less local selections.

Manayunk Brewing Festivus. Every year we brew a single batch of this holiday warmer using an original recipe thus making each year unique. The rich plum & raisin flavor in this batch is certainly a feat of strength while the complex spice profile shouldn’t be included in anyone’s airing of grievances. 7.0% ABV.

River Horse Belgian Freeze. Our warming winter Ale is amber in color, malty and full bodied. Belgian yeast provides a variety of delicate characteristics in the nose and on the palate. 8.0% ABV.


Flying Dog Naughty. Brewed with habanero peppers and orange peel, Naughty packs heat and subtle citrus sweetness. Aunt Judy's fruitcake will never taste the same. 9.0% ABV.

Flying Dog Nice. Toasty and sweet, this beer will be quite nice light proteins, cream-based soups and all of your favorite holiday desserts. 8.3% ABV.

Sixpoint Global Warmer, a winter creation that puts innovation side by side with tradition. Water, malt, hops and yeast combine for a fiery red winter beer that’s raw and bold, and toasty enough to warm you through the winter.

This year’s tweaked formulation continues to push the boundaries of winter beer. The aromatic, late-stage hopping in this beer is over-the-top juicy. The huge hop aroma is even more precise this year… massive fruit and citrus notes on the front end, and the beer finishes extra clean. No need to sip on Global Warmer – this is a full-flavored drinking beer to warm you through the winter.

We wanted to make this a nice, even six-pack, so we'll include one more that is on the less-local side.

Blue Point Winter Ale. Our Winter Ale is a hearty, robust amber ale. We use pale, Vienna, crystal and chocolate malts to create a balanced character of malt and hops with just the right amount of spice to warm you up during the colder months. 7.7% ABV.

All of the usual restrictions apply. These are all seasonal products, having limited availability.

Pre-Holiday Grab Bag

Our desk calendar says that it's two weeks until Christmas. If you haven't finished your shopping, this weekend is a great time to take care of that. We still have tastings this weekend, so you can sample some wines that may suit your holiday palate. On the Woodbridge tasting menu is Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir, which is a beautiful choice for your Christmas dinner.

What to Drink for the Holidays, Part 2

Our staff have submitted a number of suggestions for perfect holiday pairings. We started the review yesterday, and here are some more:

Robert Storey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. You just can't go wrong with a Napa Cabernet. This is a great gift, and it's outstanding for your own table or cellar. It's one of the top offerings of the year; do not miss this great Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Burgess Triere Vineyard and their signature hillside estate on Howell Mountain. Napa Valleys Burgess is one of our most requested Cabernets and this wine from their Estate Vineyards and a great vintage is one of the most incredible offerings yet from wine industry icon Robert Storey.

The regular price is $39.99. It's in our Bottle Club® holiday sale ad for only $22.96.

Cave De Beblenheim Cremant Brut Cuvee Prestige. Sparkling wine is always in season, if you ask us. It's always nice to have a delicious sparkling wine that over-delivers at a reasonable price point. The Cave De Beblenheim Cremant Brut is from Alsace, France. It has a very crisp and clean style, offering flavors of stone fruits, green apples and pears, with a mineral-tinged finish. Light, fresh and a nice alternative to Champagne! $16.96 in the Bottle Club®. Enjoy in a Mimosa, or sip from a flute glass.

Click here to see Part 1 of this series.

New Products

Darroze Armagnac, Les Grands Assemblages 50 Year. The age of reason. According to the freshness and the balance of Armagnacs of this age, it is sometimes time, at the end of 50 years to stop the barrel ageing. However, the use of barrels that have been exhausted of their tannins over many years in contact with the eau de vie is still possible. The aromas of chocolate, leather and roasted notes are characteristic of these very old eaux de vie.

For the discerning palate, or as an exceptional gift. Extremely limited availability. $294.99 in the Bottle Club®. Should be delivered to our store in the next day or two.

William Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  To experience William Hill is to discover another side of Napa Valley. A place where extraordinary vineyards are tucked

away along the serene Silverado Trail. A place where you can still discover an incredible wine for the first time.

The Cabernet displays aromas and flavors of jammy dark fruit, with hints of cassis and a rich earthiness. Notes of brown spice and sweet vanilla enhance the palate, creating a plush mouthfeel that evolves into an extraordinary finish. $31.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Speaking of incredible wine, ask about Sea Smoke Streamside Chardonnay and the 1.5 liter bottle of Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir 2013. Extremely limited availability.

                                                             Holiday Store Hours

Sunday, December 20, 9am-9pm
Wednesday, December 23, 8am-10pm
Thursday, December 24, 8am-7pm
Friday, December 25, Closed
Thursday, December 31, 8am-8pm
Friday, January 1, noon-4pm

Ripped from the Headlines

Fake Wine Smashed. News story at the link. Search the internet for the video. What we saw yesterday had no context, which was important.

Have a great weekend!